One of the most exciting approaches to the treatment of lymphocytic malignancies is the use of monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies directed against the surface immunoglobulin of malignant B lymphocytes. Such reagents combine with malignant lymphocytes but not with normal cells. The most concrete success with this approach was reported by a group under Dr. Ron Levy at Stanford. In a patient afflicted with diffuse, poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma, monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody induced a complete remission which has continued for an extended period of time. Although no further clinical trials have been reported, the approach seems so promising that Boston University Medical Center has initiated research into the production of anti-idiotypic antibodies for this purpose. The process of producing these antibodies consists of many steps, but one of these, the somatic cell hybridization of malignant B lymphocytes for isolation of malignant cell surface immunoglobulin, presents a particular problem because of the small number of lymphocyte cells available from all but extremely ill patients. Recently a new fusion technique has been explored which uses electronic rather than chemical forces to induce fusion. This electronic cell fusion technique offers many attractive features but the most critical is its ability to fuse very small numbers of cells with extremely high fusion frequency. We have conducted initial fusion experiments on both mouse and human cells with this technique and have achieved very promising results. We propose to conduct research on the electronic cell fusion technique and collaborate with Boston University Medical center in applying it to their project. By the conclusion of the Phase I - Phase II program, the electronic cell fusion technique should be available as a widely used tool for cancer research and the work at University Medical Center should be accelerated. (LB)